(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antennas for use with an underwater vehicle, and more specifically to a buoyant cable antenna that is towed by a submarine to allow communication coverage in an omni-azimuthal pattern in the Very High Frequency (VHF) frequency bands (30 MHz to 300 MHz) and can also be scaled to cover other frequency bands. This invention is specifically designed to be compatible with existing buoyant cable antenna deployment and retrieval systems.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Radio frequency communication for submerged underwater vehicles is currently limited to a buoyant cable antenna (BCA) system. Currently, this communication system only provides unidirectional signal coverage, which is of limited utility. The effectiveness of radio frequency communication for underwater vehicles would be greatly increased if omni-azimuthal signal coverage was possible throughout a desired frequency range to limit communication gaps and avoid the necessity of maneuvering an underwater vehicle to establish a good communication link. What is needed is a new and improved buoyant cable antenna that can provide omni-azimuthal signal coverage in a desired frequency range.